Chronicle

By NADINE BROZAN

Published: December 16, 1997

Trinity College at the University of Dublin has been conferring doctoral degrees since its establishment 405 years ago, but never, until now, outside of Dublin.

Yesterday Dr. FRANK O'REILLY, chancellor of the University of Dublin, conferred an honorary doctor of laws degree on SYDNEY GRUSON, former vice chairman of The New York Times Company, who also was the newspaper's foreign editor and a foreign correspondent. The ceremony, which brought seven officials of the university to New York for a formal academic procession complete with silver mace, was conducted at the Times Building on West 43d Street because of Mr. Gruson's ill health.

Resplendent in a robe of crimson and pink, Mr. Gruson, who was born in Dublin, responded to the conferral ritual, conducted in Latin, and to laudatory remarks made in Latin and English, by saying, ''I forgot to take Prozac this morning, so if I break down in tears, don't be surprised.''

In addition, Dr. THOMAS MITCHELL, the provost of the college, announced the creation of the Sydney Gruson Visiting Fellowship in Judaic Studies. Every year an American or Israeli graduate student will be invited to teach and do research at the Chaim Herzog Center for Jewish and Near Eastern Religion and Culture that will also be founded at Trinity.

Mr. Gruson, who turns 81 today, and Mr. Herzog, president of Israel from 1983 to 1993, who died in April, were childhood friends in Dublin. Dr. Mitchell said, ''We are proud that these two major academic projects will be in Ireland'' and that they will be linked to such eminent Irish Jews.